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About this blog

The slow process of restoring my dream car.

Entries in this blog

Journey to Ownership

About this blog Hello FAQers- I just picked up a 1973 2002 and I'm very excited to be a part of this community again. I'd always wanted a 2002 after being fascinated by an Orange one across the street from my preschool as a kid. I joined FAQ in 2011 when I bought my first 2002 - a Chamonix 1974 that I didn't own long enough to make any measurable changes to for better or worse. I sold the car to attend Paramedic school, I needed dead-nuts reliable transportation at the time and w

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It followed me home

This all started as a desire to replace my seats, but turned into the find of the year. The original seats in my car were completely shot, and I had replaced them with a set of blue 320 comfort seats as an interim solution. They didn’t match the interior and looked heinous, but at least I could drive the car.    I found a guy in the foothills of Northern California selling a ‘non running’ 1983 320 for $1500. I called him for some information about the car, and to see if it had the Reca

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Peeling the Onion

I've had a few spare moments to get the car cleaned up a little bit by going panel by panel with a rubbing compound and a claybar and deep cleaned the interior. I'm still pleased as punch to own this car, but it's sort of like peeling an onion - the more time I spend in/around/under the car, the longer the list gets. Full disclosure: I'm brand new at maintaining these cars, I've been learning what I can on these forums and in the Haynes manual but I'm totally open to guidance and commentary.

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Style 10

Just a small entry for today. The tires on the car were cracked and dry-rotted, a consequence of sitting in a garage for a few years. I'd been pricing out my options for replacements on the 14" Bottlecaps, but as many here know, 15" tires are more available and cost effective. I'd seen the E30 "Style 10" wheel posted here very infrequently, and though the wheel looks far more modern than the 2002 design, I feel like they stay in character with the vehicle. I found a great set available and jumpe

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Suspension

With the rolling stock and brakes squared away, it was time to address the suspension. To my untrained eyes and ears, I could tell that the bushings and mounts were all shot, the car bottomed out on hard bumps and the front tires had a comical amount of caster. I’d been stockpiling parts in plans to tackle the entire thing at once. Thanks to this site (again) as well as @BLUNT I had accumulated what I needed:   Steering links Tie rods Lower control arms All front

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Brakes and Safety

It’s been quite a while since I posted anything about this car- it’s been a slow process but I’m still smitten with it. Our son became an older brother in 2018 and then again in 2019, so my time and attention is elsewhere most of the time. For those keeping score at home, that’s 3 kids aged 3 and under as of this writing.    After mounting the wheels and tires, I began focusing on the braking system of the car. This was my first time performing brake work on any vehicle, and thanks to

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Wheel Saga part 2: Electric Boogaloo

If you spend enough time on this site, you tend to see a variety of wheel/tire combinations, some rarer than others. When I put the Style 10 wheels on my car I had only seen 2 or 3 photos of them mounted on 2002’s. I noticed that the wheels were pretty heavy, the steering felt slower, and I was lusting after other setups. I had seen @bluebmw car on Alpinas and really liked it, and was excited to have basically stumbled into this set of wheels on accident. I decided this would be my inspiration:

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Bits and Pieces

I've been chunking away at the car in small bits and pieces as time and money allow, I figured I'd write an update to keep myself honest with the progress. I took the advice given here and have been addressing the issues that could potentially injure or kill me.   I've replaced the fuel filler neck, fuel lines from the sender to the carburetor, adjusted the valves and cleaned up the engine bay. I'm impressed by the increase in 'pep' from the motor with the adjustment, and the eliminati

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